1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a travel safety apparatus for a vehicle.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-250885, filed Aug. 31, 2005 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-169105, filed Jun. 19, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
An apparatus is known for detecting an object around a vehicle for preventing a collision between the object and the vehicle or for reducing damage due to the collision, the apparatus having a plurality of detectors such as a radar and an imaging device and recognizing the object based on detection results of the detectors (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2002-99907).
In the apparatus of the aforementioned related art, a predetermined approximately sectorial detection assurance range in which a predetermined detecting accuracy is secured is set to each detector. The aforementioned apparatus performs a predetermined recognition processing in accordance with detection conditions such as whether or not the object is in an area which at least two detection assurance ranges cover and whether or not the object is in an area which only one of the assurance ranges covers. In addition, enlargement of each assurance range is sometimes required to determine a possibility of a collision swiftly and to perform proper operations for preventing a collision or reducing damage due to a collision, with respect not only to the object ahead of the vehicle but also an object approaching the vehicle from the side.
However, the center angle of the detection assurance range of the radar is not easy to enlarge, while that of the imaging device can be enlarged, for example by applying a wide-angle lens. This is a cause of complexity in the apparatus constitution and rising cost. In addition, since the imaging device has shorter a assured detecting distance than the radar, the detection reliability of the imaging device tends to decline in accordance with changes of conditions such as weather.